Safety device for submarine boats



Sept. 12, 1933. DESCHENES 1,926,229

SAFETY DEVICE FOR SUBMARINE BOATS Filed June 18, 1932 Patented Sept. 12,1933 UNITED STATES SAFETY DEVICE FOR SUBMARINE BOATS Alfred Deschnes,Cap-A-LAigle, Quebec,

( Canad Application June 18, 1932. Serial No. 617,930 1 Claim. (01. 1151.7)

Since the introduction of the submarine boat,

considerable loss of life has occurred through the inability of the crewto escape when the boat springs a leak while submerged or for any otherreason fails to return to the surface of the wa-fi The object of thisinvention is to do away ter. with such needless loss of life byproviding means of escape for thecrew under the conditions describedabove.

This object is accomplished by means of a water tight compartment membermounted in.

the boat and releasable therefrom at will. The member is buoyant inwater and may be .en-.

taching it from the boat and for admitting water beneath it, whereuponit rises to the surface of the water. Further, the compartment membermay be lifted mechanically out of the boat. The member contains oxygentanks to sustain the crew and is equipped with port holes for sightingaid and with a manhole cover for rescue. I

The invention is fully disclosed by way of example in the followingdescription and in the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is anelevation, partly .in section, of the device;

Figure 2 is a transverse section of a-submarine boat equipped accordingto the invention;

Figure 3 is a plan section of the operating gear- Figure 4 is a sectionon the line 4--4 of Figure 6;

Figure 5 is an elevation of the submarine, showing the floatingcompartment released therefrom;

Figure 6 is a detail section of the locking de vice; and

Figure 7 is a detail section of the sealing means.

Reference to these views will now be made by use of like characterswhich are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout.

In Figure 5 is illustrated a submarine boat 1 of usual constructionexcept that it is formed with a pocket or cavity 2 at any desired pointin its top, either behind or in front of the tower 3. In the cavity ismounted a box-like compartment member 4, separable from the vessel andpreferably having a clearance 5 from the walls of the cavity.

The floating compartment is air and water tight and may be entered fromthe vessel through doors 6 as shown more clearly injFigure 2. The member4 rests on struts 7 in the bottom ofthe cavity 2 and further containslevers 8 from which locking bolts 9 extend into keepers 10 secured tothe walls 11 of the cavity as shown in Figure 6.

To the bottom of the cavity 2 is secured a vertical screw post 12 onwhich is threaded a gear 13. A frame 14 secured to the bottom of thecompartment ,4 engages the top of the gear 13 and has a'vertical shaft15 journalled therein. This shaft carries at one end a pinion 16 meshingwith the. gear 13 and at its other enda bevel pinion 17. Further, a stubshaft 18 is journalled in the frame 14 and carries a pinion 19 meshingwith the pinion 17. The shaft 18 is turned by means of a-crank20-thereon.

Normally, the clearance 5 around the member .4 is sealed by a flexiblestrip 21 carried by a marginal plate 22 secured to the upper edge of themember 4 as shown in Figure 7; A pipe 23 ex- U tends from the-top of themember 4 to the bottom tered by the crew in case of need and thensealedagain. Within this member, are devices for .de

of the cavity 2 and contains a valve 24, for a purpose which willpresently be described.

In the use of the device, in case the submarine fails to rise'aftersubmersion, the members of the crew enter the compartment 4 through thedoors 6 and close the doors behind them. The compartment is buoyant inwater, and the valve 24 is opened to admit water beneath it. The levers8 are pulled to withdraw the bolts 9, and the crank '20 is turned. Theconsequent turning of the gear 13 on the screw post 12 effects an upwardpressure on the frame 14 and thus aids in lifting the compartment out ofthe vessel. The clearance 5 avoids bending during this movement. Ballast4 is provided in the bottom of the member 4 to steady the same whenafloat.

The compartment rises to the surface of the water as shown in Figure 5.The shape of the frame 14 as shown in Figure 3 permits removal of thegear 13 and plugging of the hole which remains in the bottom of thecompartment on withdrawal from the post 12. While awaiting rescue,

the crew obtains oxygen from suitable tanks 25 the appended claim.

What I claim is: i In a submarine boat, a buoyant and water-tightcompartment member detachably mounted there'- -in, and a closure memberin said compartment member for permitting passage from the boat to thelatten'a screw post fixed to said boat and extending upwardly into saidcompartment member, a nut on said post, a frame fixed to saidcompartment member and engaging the top of said nut, a shaft journaledin said frame and geared to said nut, and means for turning said shaft.

ALFRED DESCHENES.

